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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · craft · game · stick · capital · fork · rock · mine

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. craft — a skill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. capital — a city
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. craft — boats
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — wild animals
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com